Our leadership offer insight into the scope and reach of the Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai.

Yasmin Hurd, PhD
Director, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai
Addiction is a complex biological disorder which results in significant medical, social, and economic impact. The medical consequences of addiction are vast but today, significant strides are being made in understanding the underlying pathology and developing novel treatment interventions to improve care and reduce relapse. The Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai has one of the largest clinical footprints within the country providing extensive treatment services across diverse populations. Similar to other chronic illnesses, addiction requires flexible strategic treatments over the course of its pathology. Science-based medicine is the foundation of clinical care within the Mount Sinai Behavioral Health System and the Institute strongly adheres to that creed. The basic and translational neuroscience addiction research at Mount Sinai is world renowned and the Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai is strategically placed to leverage the strengths of our outstanding scientific endeavors to influence evidence-based addiction management within our clinical programs. It is our goal to improve individualized care of patients suffering from alcohol, drug, and behavioral addictions through advances in genetics, epigenetics, neuroimaging, and state-of-the-art research. The integration of basic, translational, clinical, and health services research will lead to transformative advances in our understanding and treatment of addictive disorders. A critical component of addiction is the consideration of comorbid mental and medical disorders, thus we approach the prevention and treatment of addiction through interactions with other disciplines including pediatrics, cardiology, infectious disease, neurology, geriatrics, and population health science and policy.

Overall, I am excited and energized by the innovative and bold strategies we are implementing at the Institute to address the challenging and devastating nature of drug, alcohol, and behavioral disorders. I am impressed by our dedicated staff; they are selfless in their compassionate care and steadfast in their commitment to our patients. I am optimistic about the future of the field given the development of our educational programs for physicians, social workers, psychologists, and scientists who will be superbly trained to extend the boundaries of addiction health services and treatments. I am proud that our Institute is paving the path to make pioneering strides toward changing the landscape of addiction treatment.

Timothy K. Brennan, MD, MPH
Medical Director
Director, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai West
Addiction is a medical disease, just like diabetes, hypertension or cancer. As a physician, it is an absolute privilege to take care of people in their time of need, and it is an ongoing source of rejuvenation for me when I see people improve and overcome their disease. Here at the Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, we are seeking to integrate our long tradition of high quality clinical care with our state-of-the-art research in neuroscience and behavioral health. By bridging these often disparate worlds, we can improve not only our patient’s lives, but the lives of future generations as well. Perhaps the most exciting component of addiction medicine is that we are just getting started, and the future is bright.

Amy Swift, MD
Medical Director of Addiction Psychiatry
Program Director Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship
When I took on this role in the AIMS program it was to a pleasure join a team of clinicians so passionate about the care of people with substance use disorders. The main focus in my career has been to treat these patients comprehensively as an addiction psychiatrist. The importance of supporting behavioral interventions to marry with the medication assisted therapy has been the backbone of my practice. The vision of the Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai aligns with this premise and promotes wellness and recovery through a multidimensional approach that makes exceptional care accessible to anyone who walks in our door.